Just browsing

Otherwise you just lift up the phone or fax through your order. Or do you?

Sainsbury's in Heyford Hill, Oxford, is the first store in the county to introduce Internet shopping, although other supermarket chains are doing trial tests.

Despite the scheme being in its teething stages, hundreds of Sainsbury's shoppers have already been converted.

I definitely won't be one of them. I found the whole thing a complete chore.

It took all the fun out of shopping. But then lots of people never see the fun side in the first place. Not only that, it's so disorganised and time-consuming that it simply wasn't worth it.

I love supermarket shopping and I don't think I could trust someone else to do it for me. What about the bargains? Or those spurts of inspiration where you concoct as you shop? What about the impulse buy, looking at other people's shopping at the check-out? Need I go on?

But for your sake, I had a go anyway.

Every other company delivers a catalogue and you order from it, but with Sainsbury's you have to make your own catalogue.

Sainsbury's spokesman Gillian Bridger explained: "We have 28,000 items in some of the stores. The average shopper tends to buy the same sort of thing week in, week out, so a catalogue tailored to their needs is much quicker for them in the long run."

To enrol you have to phone a special number to get booked in for your personal shopper appointment. It wasn't that easy. I phoned several times, was kept waiting for ages and then the person who answered couldn't book me in. Several days and many calls later someone eventually phoned me back and booked me in for the following week.

Things had not got off to a good start. A video appeared in the post explaining the service and what would happen during my appointment, so I was prepared when I met orderline manager Yvette Massiah.

Over a cup of coffee she explained the service in great detail. It's a simple concept. Go round the store blipping every item you're likely to buy, with a space age phone. Then your catalogue is made and you're free to order. Three hours later I was still in aisle 12. A shop assistant said: "It is time-consuming isn't it? One man's wife came to look for him yesterday, he took so long."

Frankly it was as boring and aggravating as sitting in a traffic jam. I know it was a one-off. By the end I just rushed round. I didn't care that fruit juice wasn't on my list or that I completely missed the cake section. Freedom was in sight.

I couldn't wait to get out of there and 318 items later I was in the safety of the car park, gulping in fresh air.

Theoretically that was the last time I ever needed to go into a supermarket.

But one thing the researchers have found is that the initial enthusiasm soon wears off and people do return.

Personally, I nearly wept as I passed bargain after bargain, knowing they would never be mine.

Then the real trouble started. I thought logging on to place my order would be easy. It was not.

It took several hours, the system is so slow and there are a lot of problems with it.

The Internet helpline number was busy and someone was supposed to phone me back but never did. I found out later the problem-solver was off ill.

The instructions were not straightforward. Initially I was trying to add something to my list but half an hour later I gave up. Our company's Internet expert had a go and said the system was flawed; he couldn't understand it either. So then, I tried to order. It was so slow I nearly pulled my hair out. Eventually we got to the end, then the final order flashed up on the screen. It said £139. I had ordered about £40-worth.

Ninety per cent of the things on the list I hadn't ordered, so I took another half an hour going through and deleting the unnecessaries. "That's that," I thought. Unfort- unately, it wasn't.

Someone phoned, by coincid- ence, to ask how the service was going because they hadn't received my order. I told them I ordered this morning. "Oh," they replied. Several calls later they found my order.

Then a lady phoned that evening to say I hadn't put in any amounts. The only order they had was the £139 one, so we had to go through it again, deleting all the unwanted items. I arranged to pick up my shopping the next morning.

Just as I was leaving the next day to pick up my shopping I got a phone call. "We haven't got your amounts," the lady said.

I told her someone had phoned last night, but that information had not trickled through. We had to go through the whole list again, deleting the unwanted items. My conclusion is - avoid this at all costs.

It would have been quicker to drive to Leeds to go shopping.

And if I had this much trouble, imagine someone who is not computer literate, or the elderly?

In fairness, there are a few advantages to this way of shop- ping. When you go to collect your shopping (Sainsbury's only deliver within a couple of miles' radius of the store) you are handed a list of best buys of the week, and two for the price of one, but somehow it's not the same.

If you need something different you can add it to your list and you can put preferences such as thinly sliced ham or olives from the deli on your order.

I admit there may come a day when I have eight screaming children, a cold and a bad hair day and can't face a trip to Sains- bury's. Otherwise, see you there next week. Hi-tech methods for getting the groceries

Sainsbury's Internet shopping: Home delivery costs £5 and collecting goods from the store yourself will cost you £3.50.

To book your appointment, telephone 0845 301 2020.

Iceland has by-passed the Internet and progressed straight on to telephone shopping. You simply phone up for a brochure, which arrives the next day, note down the numbers next to the produce you want, phone up the Iceland hotline, which is open 12 hours a day, and the next day it's delivered to your house.

It really is that easy. And we're not just talking frozen produce. Booze, loo rolls, bread, biscuits, yoghurt, cat food, mango chutney, chocolate, you name it, it's there. They don't do baby food or nappies, which is a problem, and of course fresh fruit and veg is out of the question.

But the service is ideal for bulk buying the staples. Then a quick trip to the shops for the extras is made so much easier. This was quick, easy, painless and highly recommended. The delivery charge is £4 and the catalogue changes every two months. For a catalogue telephone 0800 3280800

Tesco: Still testing the Internet service in London but you don't need personal shopper. Instead the client goes around a virtual supermarket on the computer, putting goods into his or her basket. More fun. Delivery included.

Asda: A digital TV home shopping channel is in the pipeline, where a home delivery service will be ordered from special warehouses, but to start with will only be available in south London. Music, books and videos will also be available on the Internet.

Waitrose: No Internet home shopping site except for companies. Home deliveries of flowers, wine and catering.

M&S: The store does deliver (there is a £5 charge) but you have to do the shopping yourself. The service is ideal for workers who can nip round the shops in their lunch-hours and get their goods when they return home.

Mothercare: Phone 01923 240365 to order a brochure, then order anything from clothes to highchairs and the goods are delivered straight to your home for a charge of £3. Ideal for busy mums, new mums or mums-to-be.

Boots: Get 'Your Baby and You' catalogue from in-store, order any goods and they are delivered to your home. Free delivery.

Safeway: Collect and Go. Order by phone or fax and collect from store. Catalogue made from last shopping list. £2 per collection and order, currently on trial in Basingstoke.

Co-op: Central Oxford, Headington, Summertown, Marston, Abingdon and Watlington stores all deliver to shoppers who choose their goods in the store. It's a £2.50 charge for same-day delivery.

Somerfield: Shop and deliver. Choose the goods in store and they're delivered free within a five-mile radius, if your order is worth more than £25. Delivery shopping and Internet shopping being tried out, and are to be extended.

Budgens: Home delivery service, ordered by phone, available at the Faringdon store only. The store group has just bought Teleshop - phone shopping for elderly and those using social services. Not up and running yet.

KwikSave: Nothing.

Morrisons: Nothing, the justification for which is that it would put prices up and the store is committed to keeping prices down.

Organic: Several firms deliver locally in Oxfordshire.

They include: Jordans; meat, veg, fruit and wholefood on 01844 210156.

Meat Matters on 01235 762461.

Uhuru Wholefoods; alcohol, bread, fruit, veg, dairy, wholefoods and herbs on 01865 248249.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.